Austintown must have more firefighters

Austintown must have more firefighters EDITOR: In response to my letter by the Austintown part-time firefighters, I'm puzzled by what my friendship with the president of the union has to do with anything. All my facts are on public record and can be obtained by anyone concerned. And as for my letter being totally uncalled for, their letter proves my point. Part-time manpower is the lowest in 15 years. They have taken pay cuts and a cut in hours to help fund the fire department (their words). What needs to be added to this, is the taxpayers just passed a $500,000-plus levy to bolster the fire department. What has the fire department done with this money? We have the largest growing community in the state, with only two fire stations open, manned with three firefighters per station. If any of the 22 part-time people have children or have a senior citizen in one of our assisted living homes they should have written my letter. God help us if a fire breaks out during the day, when most of our part-time help is at work. This is totally understandable; they all have to make a living for their families first. If there is more than one emergency fire call during the day time hours, particularly in our schools or involving our elderly housing, it leaves one station with three firefighters to respond to that call. Do they want our children or families with this kind of protection? We have an ambulance service in our township second to none. We do not need another ambulance service. We need fire protection. Let's use the money earmarked for the fire department to have a fire department that is safe for the community and the fire department. I do feel the part-time firefighters are doing a great job, but they are part-time and have other obligations first. LOU CHINE Austintown Poland Township police wrong about traffic EDITOR: I would like to respond to what Chief Carl Massullo said in The Vindicator on Wednesday, April 25, that there is no problem with speeding or reckless driving on N. Lima Road Well we've had about 10 accidents at the present time. In 1992, 1994 and 1998 I gave petitions and people read and signed the petitions which complained about speeding on N. Lima Road also loud stereos and car radios. Poland Township gets money from the BFI for every ton of garbage the company dump in the land-fill in Poland Township. Because the police department gets a lot of that money, they do not give many tickets out for speeding in the township. It's sad that the people of the township can't get some help from the police chief instead of excuses. ARCHIE J. LAGNES Poland On television, too many complaints about weather EDITOR: I am so glad that winter is over. Why am I glad? I am sick and tired of listening to the morning news people on WFMJ crying about the weather. I quit watching WKBN for this reason. I would like to know why people in this town are cry babies when it comes to bad weather. The people on WFMJ and WKBN don't do anything. They sit in an office all day. I could see if they worked outside all day, but they don't. I would like Youngstown City Council to explain why they're buying six snow plows. Youngstown does not get enough snow for six new plows. I came back to Ohio in 2000. I lived in Pennsylvania in Warren County since 1997. All I have heard in this town is crying. Me, I will watch WYTV. WILLIAM E. REEDS Youngstown